No. 11 Oklahoma State pulls away from No. 22 West Virginia 50-39

Nick Bromberg
·College football and motorsports writer

No. 22 West Virginia gave No. 11 Oklahoma State a scare in the third quarter, but the Cowboys eased away for a 50-39 win.

The Mountaineers closed a 30-10 Oklahoma State lead to 30-24 in less than a minute in the third quarter without running an offensive play. The first touchdown came when Marvin Gross recovered a blocked Zach Sinor punt in the end zone.

Two plays later, Kenny Robinson returned a Mason Rudolph interception 39 yards for a touchdown. Suddenly, with 3:05 left in the third, West Virginia had a chance.

But that chance quickly disappeared as WVU QB Will Grier turned the ball over again. Grier’s fourth interception came with OSU leading 37-24 and the Cowboys converted the pick into a touchdown and a three-possession lead with 8:22 remaining.

The touchdown was Oklahoma State wide receiver James Washington’s second of the day. Washington finished with seven catches for 91 yards, though Oklahoma State’s offensive star was backup running back J.D. King.

King had to shoulder the rushing workload after starter Justice Hill was injured in the first half. King had 36 carries — including a couple of key fourth down conversions — for 142 yards and a score.

The Cowboy defense held West Virginia to just 62 rushing yards on 30 carries and Mountaineer wide receiver David Sills had only three catches for 44 yards.

The win — QB Mason Rudolph’s 29th as a starting QB, breaking him of a tie with his coach Mike Gundy — means Oklahoma State moves to 7-1 and stays near the top of the Big 12. West Virginia, meanwhile, is now 5-3 and has two conference losses.

Oklahoma State wide receiver James Washington (28) runs for a touchdown while being defended by West Virginia safety Dravon Askew-Henry (6) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017, in Morgantown, W.Va. (AP Photo/Raymond Thompson)
Oklahoma State wide receiver James Washington (28) runs for a touchdown while being defended by West Virginia safety Dravon Askew-Henry (6) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017, in Morgantown, W.Va. (AP Photo/Raymond Thompson)

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Nick Bromberg is the editor of Dr. Saturday and From the Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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